Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources

The Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources is 45 miles southwest of Fordyce, in the heart of the Arkansas oil fields. Surrounded by twenty acres of south Arkansas woodlands, the Museum collects, conserves, interprets, and exhibits examples of Arkansas' oil and brine industrial history and the fascinating social history that accompanied the oil boom of the 1920s.

Prior to the discovery of oil in 1921, the area's economic future was linked to declining cotton and timber markets. Prospects were bleak. No one anticipated one of the wildest oil booms in the nation's history.

The Busey No. 1 well near El Dorado blew in with a gusty fury on January 10, 1921. It was Arkansas' discovery well, and things would never be the same. Determined geologists explored creeks, noted elevations, and read the earth's outer crust. The serene pine forests were quickly consumed by the chaotic presence of the drill bit.

The search for oil was soon directed north towards the village of Smackover and the nearby Ouachita River fault line. On July 29, 1922, the Richardson No. 1 brought in the newest discovery. Smackover, a village of less than 100 people, boomed to over 25,000 within months. Within a year the forty square-mile Smackover Field was producing oil in abundance. For five months in 1925, the Smackover Field ranked first among the nation's oil fields.

Though the fury of the boom is over, the South Arkansas oil fields cover a ten-county area and are still producing.

Bromine extraction followed the oil discovery. Columbia and Union Counties sit on one of the largest brine reserves in the world. Ethyl Corporation in Magnolia, and Great Lakes Chemical in El Dorado, play an international role in the commercialization of bromine and its applications.

Dedicated to the pioneers of South Arkansas' oil and brine industries, the Museum is funded by a tax on the state's oil production and bromine extraction.

The Museum has a 25,000-square foot exhibit center, an education building, a collection management facility, and the Oil Field Park. Permanent indoor exhibits are in development. Temporary and traveling exhibits are available.

The Oil Field Park shows examples of oil production methods used from the 1920s boom to the modern era. Full-size, operational exhibits include:

• a 1920s standard rig, a 112-foot wooden derrick, and two wood-fired boilers illustrating steam-powered drilling
• a 1920s-1930s 64-foot pipe derrick and gear-driven pumping unit
• a 1930s 87-foot angle-iron derrick and a "Pennsylvania" type jack
• a 1930s-1940s central power station containing an 18-foot eccentric wheel capable of simultaneously operating twelve wells
• a 1930s "gin pole" mast and Oklahoma jack
• a modern Lufkin unit on an original well head, counterbalanced by 2,125 feet of "down hole" rods

Education and Interpretation

Films, lectures, field trips, demonstrations, preschool visits, and adult programs and workshops are offered. Two films, "The Arkansas Boom" and "Oil Blowing Wild," are scheduled each day. Museum and Arkansas State Park interpretive events are scheduled throughout the year.

Teachers: A guide is available to assist educators in their preparation of graded, curriculum-related programs, offering an educational resource for 16 subjects including Arkansas history, geology, and ecology.

Membership

We invite memberships from individuals, families, businesses, and organizations. Members receive many benefits including the newsletter and invitations to exhibit previews and other special events.

Many interesting and fulfilling volunteer opportunities are offered. We invite you to select an area that matches your interest, skills, and schedule. Volunteer brochures are available at the Visitor Services Desk.

For More Information

Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources
3853 Smackover Highway
Smackover, AR 71762
(870) 725-2877

The City of Fordyce
101 S. Main Street
Fordyce, AR 71742
(870) 352-2198
(870) 352-8610 ( fax)
E-mail: cityoffordyce@alltel.net